Strauss, Cook reject Pietersen's bullying claims

Past and present England captains Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook have rejected allegations by Kevin Pietersen that a clique of players bullied and intimidated teammates during the successful Andy Flower era.

Past and present England captains Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook have rejected allegations by Kevin Pietersen that a clique of players bullied and intimidated teammates during the successful Andy Flower era.

Pietersen, whose England career was terminated in February, made the allegations in his new autobiography and in interviews to publicise it.

Strauss, who captained an England side containing Pietersen from 2008-12, says in The Sunday Times he is "left with a real feeling of dejection" by Pietersen's comments and that "anyone who was involved with England throughout his career knows that the dressing room was anything but the seething snake pit that has been described."

Cook tells the BBC there "certainly wasn't a bullying environment in my eyes" and that the era under Flower has been "tarnished" by Pietersen.